


Yesterdays and Tomorrows

by dasakuryo



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens (2015)
Genre: Angst, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Family, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Spanish, space latinxs
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-11-26
Updated: 2017-11-26
Packaged: 2019-02-07 04:09:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 897
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12832989
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dasakuryo/pseuds/dasakuryo
Summary: An unexpected visitor arrives on the Resistance base. Poe can't believe his eyes.





	Yesterdays and Tomorrows

**Author's Note:**

> Translations for the Spanish used throughout the story can be found at the end notes. Hope you enjoy! :)

Poe freezes when he sees him. He is standing there by his X-Wing, face lit up as he talks with General Organa. One of his hands is clasping her shoulder, Poe guesses in a re-assuring squeeze. The shadows, almost perpetual in the woman's gaze for the past few days, seem to have faded a little bit. A light creeps into her face when a small smile tugs at her lips.

Poe's feet are fused to the ground. He can't move, and he notices the pain flickering through the man's gaze. Even though he tries to hide it. And suddenly, as if the man can see his eyes on him, lifts his gaze from Leia Organa and locks eyes with Poe.

If his face was bright before, now he is beaming. The smile spreads over his face and Poe's memory plays his chuckle, one Poe is sure the man let out.

He doesn't register moving forth. Perhaps the man did. Maybe Poe hasn't moved at all because all he can feel is his heart roaring in his ears and beating painfully behind his ribs. He wants to say something, but he only parts his lips slightly, unable to utter a sound.

"Ah, pues se ve que ahora no hay saludo para el viejo," the man chuckles and creases plague his face.

Poe throws his arms around him and hugs his father, hard, tight and close to his chest. Kes Dameron pats his shoulder, ruffles his hair, and suddenly Poe feels seven again and his mother has just become one with the Force.

Kes' eyes are gleaming and Poe is sure he heard him sniff just now, as they broke the embrace. Poe sees the sadness flickering through his father's gaze when he glances briefly to the sky.

A superweapon about to destroy headquarters of the resistance. A victory paid with blood and sacrifice.

Poe knows the past is coming back to strike blow after blow. And anger boils in his veins, this shouldn't have happened. Why did they allow this to happen? Why did he allow this to happen? After all the pain, after all the suffering countless people like his parents had gone through to make the galaxy free again, all those years ago.

Why didn't they took better care? How— Why—

"Papá," he says with a thread of voice, he sucks in a breath and lets out a worried, "what are you doing here?"

He is worried now. Afraid. But Kes smiles and squeezes his shoulder, for a moment Poe thinks he might bump him in the arm. But he doesn't, his smile widens.

"La destruiste."

Poe nods, and maybe it's the light and there aren't tears shining on his father's eyes. Perhaps he doesn't tighten his grasp on his arm for a fleeting second. Maybe he just smiles and pulls him into a tighter hug.

Poe doesn't need to hear him say he is proud. He know he is, and his father shouldn't be thanking him for anything anyway.

When they part again, his father yanks a hand into his pocket. There's a tingle, and then he is pressing something cold into his palm, as he clasp it and envelops it with his.

"A tu mamá le hubiera gustado que lo usaras."

Poe barely listens his words when he opens his hand and sees the ring in a chain staring back at him. He blinks, in between puzzled and amazed, and only manages to gape at his father, words stuck in his throat.

He can't accept this. He can't, but his father keeps smiling and there is a shadow of a sad frown threatening to take hold of his face.

"Papá," he croaks, "I can't— I can't use this—"

"Yes, you can," he says.

And yet Poe feels he can't.

"She got that when she turned fifteen. When she was... full of dreams," Kes voice falters, "when her hope burnt brighter than ever. She would be up there blasting those bastards into oblivion if she hadn't—" he pauses, and it's Poe's turn to squeeze his father's arm.

Kes falls silent for a moment, swallows and looks down.

"Papá—"

"Let her be with you up there, closer," he says and there is no mistake those are tears. "Let her watch over you even closer than she already does. Keep her hope close—"

Whatever he is about to say next gets lost because Poe hugs him again. Tightly, and when he hears the choked masked sob coming from the strongest man he has ever known, Poe shatters and doesn't want to ever let go.

  
The ring rest against his sternum, close to his beating heart. His fingers toyed with it, feeling the metal on his fingertips. A curious beep pulls Poe out of his trance.

"Yeah, it was mum's, buddy."

A smile breaks free on his face when the droid emits another beep, an excited one this time, judging by the ear-splitting acuteness of it.

"Yeah, this was mum's too."

The durasteel clanks beneath the tap of his hand. Bee-Bee rolls on its axis and its semispherical head draws backward on his body, its round photo-receptor reflects the Alliance symbol. The droid lets out a thoughtful boop.

"That's right, buddy. She taught me to fly in this thing."

He slids the helmet on. The navi-computer translates BB-8 sheer joy. Poe smiles as the engines buzz to life.

**Author's Note:**

> I wanted to explore on the bittersweet feelings Poe might have felt, given how much his parents and their generation sacrificed to put an end to the Empire. 
> 
> The story was inspired by a headcanon of Mara's, what if the ring Poe wears belonged to Shara? I decided to add the background of it being a quinces present, to echo a feature of Latin American cultural traditions into the Star Wars universe, considering the Dameron are space Latinxs.
> 
> Hope you have enjoyed the read, thanks for dropping by! Feedback is more than welcomed :)
> 
> * * *
> 
> Translations:
> 
> -Ah pues se ve que ahora no hay saludo para el viejo: Ah, seems now there are no greetings for the old man.  
> -Papá: Dad  
> -La destruiste: You destroyed it.  
> -A tu mamá le hubiera gustado que lo usaras: Your mother would have wanted you to wear this.


End file.
